Chain Store Sales Fell 1.0% in Week

NEW YORK – Chain store sales fell 1.0% in the week ended Feb. 25, according to the ICSC-Goldman Sachs Weekly Chain Store Sales Snapshot released Tuesday.

On a year-over-year basis, retail sales also slowed to a 2.7% rise.

"A blast of warm temperatures rolled in again and gasoline prices continued to climb, which collectively helped to soften sales this past week," said Michael Niemira, ICSC vice president of research and chief economist.  "The results this past week continue a relatively choppy sales pattern that the industry has been experiencing since January and, as a result, monthly comparable store sales are likely to mirror this when retailers report their February sales results on Thursday, March 1," added Niemira.

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